Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad Company Records, 1844-1894 (bulk 1844-1854)

Agency History / Biographical Note:The Atlantic & St. Lawrence Rail Road, the first line built from Portland, Maine, to Montreal, Quebec, was established to carry traffic from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence waterway to an Atlantic port. Chartered in February 1845, ground was broken in July of the following year; the last segment of the line was finally opened in July 1853. Leased by the Grand Trunk Railway, the Atlantic & St. Lawrence became part of the Canadian National system. Its corporate name was dissolved in 1959.

Scope and Content:The records, consisting of correspondence, Provisional Committee and Corporators' meeting minutes, committee reports, clippings, documents, and printed pamphlets and broadsides, focus on the establishment, routing, and construction of the railroad. The correspondents include some of Maine's most prominent citizens and interested parties in Montreal and Sherbrooke, Quebec; London, England; and Boston. Although notables such as Charles E. Barrett, James Deering, Neal Dow, Samuel Fessenden, Hannibal Hamlin, John A. Poor, Francis O.J. Smith, and Ashur Ware are represented, the bulk of the correspondence (20 or more letters each) is among E.F. Beal, Sir Alexander T. Galt, Josiah S. Little, John Neal, William Pitt Preble, and Reuel Williams.